Foldable box



E. E. PINKERTON FOLDABLE BOX Filed August 23, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 24 1926. 1,597,286

E. E. PINKERTON FOLDABLE BOX Filed August 23 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. PINKERTON, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDABLE BOX.

Application filed August 23, 1924. Serial m. 733,777.

My invention relates to certain novel improvements in foldable boxes, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel and inexpensive type of box device, designed especially for the berry market, it being the intention that a box of this type shall be used once and then discarded. To this end, my improved box has been so designed that it may be fabricated entirely from paper as a one-piece construction, foldable to produce side walls with an integral bottom connection between the side walls. The design is also such that the box may be made in separate parts when it is desired to have a carrying strength beyond that of' paper. For instance, according to this feature, the side walls may be made from paper while the bottom member may be made from stronger material such as, for an example, the thin relatively bendable woods commonly employed in producing berry boxes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of box devices of the character described, which may, for reasons of economy, be shipped in collapsed or knocked down form and which are adapted readily to be folded or set up at the place or places where they are to receive the goods.

A still further object is the provision of a box of this characteY, wherein the bottom member whether made integral with the side walls or separately therefrom, is capable of being adjusted relatively to the height of the box, so that the capacity of the box may be varied.

ther objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations ,and arrangements ofparts hereinafter described and claimed.

. ,The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompan ing drawings forming a part of this speci cation, and in which: I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a. box made in accordance with the present invention, the box here being shown in folded condition,

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the form of blank from which the box is produced;

F1g. 4 1s a fragmentary view of a modified orm of blank, in which the side wall portions are made separately from the bottom member; and

Fi 5 is a plan view of the bottom member or the modified form of blank.

Referring with particularity to the accompanying drawings, and first to Fig. 3, it Wlll be seen that I provide a paper blank, represented generally by the numeral 7, which is foldable upon itself along a medial longitudmal line 8 and also upon itself along equl-spaced transverse lines 9, in order to provide the outer and inner side wall portions 10, 11, 12, 13 and 10, 11, 12', and 13', respectively. At one extremity of the blank, herein shown to consist of the outer wall portion 13, there is formed an integral s lit tongue thereon 14 having oppositely isposed ear portions 15. At the opposite extremity of the blank, herein shown to consist of the outer wall portion 10, there is provided a slot or aperture 16, adapted to receive the tongue 14 when the box is folded into the square box body form illustrated in Fig. 1.

In order to permit the ready folding of the inner side wall portions, vertically extending slots 17 are provided along the transverse folding or corner lines 9, these vertically extending slots preferably terminating, however, a distance below the lon gitudinal foldin line 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The sidewall portion 13 has formed therewith an integral bottom member 18 having projecting tongues 19 on three sides as shown. This integral bottom member 18 is foldable into a position at right angles in respect to the side wall port1on 13', upon a folding line 20 and also upon folding lines 21 appearing in succession thereabove. Opposite the folding line 20, each of the side wall portions 10, 11" and 12 is provided with an opening 22 receptive in order to support the bottom between the side wall portions when the box is folded. In connection it will be noted that the of the tongues 19 on the bottom member 18 openings 22, and further that these tongues along the line of their mergence with the body of the bottom member are provided with inward indentures or recesses 24:, designed to prevent the tongues from being pulled out of the openings 22 when the box is folded. Preferably, the tongues 19 are of such extent that when they are inserted in the openings 22 and bent downwardly as illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 2, they will come flush with the bottom edges of the side wall portions, thereby re-enforcing the same and assisting in the support of the bottom member.

In addition to being folded on the line 20, the bottom member 18 may also be folded upon one of the lines 21. For instance, after being folded on the line 20, said bottom member may be further folded on the first line 21 thereabove so that the folding line 20 may then be elevated and brought alongside the second line 21 for the support of the bottom member at that elevation. If it be desired to support the bottom 18 at the elevation of the first line 21, the first fold is made as before upon the line 20, while the second fold must be made on a line (not shown) midway between the line 20 and the first line 21 thereabove so that the line 20 may be elevated to overlie the first line 21. If desired, line 20 may be elevated to the third line 21 for support of the bottom member at that height, by making the second fold on a line (not shown) midway between the line 20 and the third line 21. Obvlously, in practice, for convenience in fold ng, the wall portion 13 may contaln suitable markings or folding lines to indicate where the second or midway folds must be made in order to locate the lines 20 alongside either the first line 21 or the third line 21. For each of the successive lines 21 to which the line 20 may be elevated, the side wall port ons 10, 11 and 12 are provided w1th tongue receiving openings 25. By thus prov ding a lurality of tongue receiving openings 1n a lnement with the folding lines for the bottom member, I produce a foldable box structure in which the bottom member may be secured in position to and between the side wall portions at a choice of elevatlons, so that the capacity of the box may be varied as desired. In the berry trade it 1s frequently desirable. to provide boxes of the same form and size but having difierent capacities. The bottom member 18 is provided with a plurality of ventilating aper tures 26.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I illustrate a modified form of my improved foldable box, in which the side walls and bottom member are made as separate parts, in order that the bottom member may be made of heavier stock or of different and stronger material than the side walls. In this modified form it will be seen that the blank 7 is made below the outer wall portion 13 with an inner wall portion 27 which is fashioned in all respects like the inner wall portions 10, 11 and 12, being provided with successive tongue receiving slots 28 which come in alinement with the tongue receiving slots in the other side wall portions. 29 represents a separate bottom member, which is formed a ong each side with a tongue 3Q adapted to be entered in the tongue receiving slots of the side wall portions during the folding of the box. As in the previous instances the tongues 30 are of such extent as to extend to and come flush with the bottom edges of the side wall portions when inserted in the lowermost slots of the side wall portions. In view of the plurality of tongue receiving slots, it will be obvious that the bottom member 29 may be secured in position at a choice of altitudes with respect to the height of the box in order to vary the capacity of the box as before.

From what has been said, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be evident that I have provided a novel box which may be shipped in collapsed or knocked down condition, that is of such simple construction that it may be readily folded or set up by unskilled labor, and that is so constructed that the bottom of the box may be, during the folding operation, fixed at the height which will give the box the capacity desired.

While I have herein before referred to my improved box as especially designed for the berry market it will be obvious to those familiar with the paper box industry that 'my improved foldable box may also be used for sale. When used as a display box, the 1 adjustable bottom member may be placed or supported in the topmost tongue receiving grooves, so that while exhibiting a full sized box of candy, only a small quantity of the goods will be exposed to the atmosphere of the shop and to molestation by prospective customers.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I,

therefore, do not wish to be limited to the aving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v 1. A- box of the class described comprisin connected side walls provided with slots, a ottom member of a dlmension fitting between the side walls, tongues carried by the bottom member and protruded through said slots, notches formed at the junctions of the tongues with the bottom member and interlooking with the parts at the ends of the slots to prevent withdrawal of the tongues, and reinforcing means on the side walls extending across said tongues, substantially as described.

2'. A box of the class described comprising connected side walls provided with slots, reinforcing members depending from the side walls, contacting with the outer faces thereof and extending across said slots, a bottom member of a dimension fitting between the side walls, tongues carried by the bottom member and protruded through said slots, notches-formed at the junctions of the tongues-with the bottom member and interlocking with the arts at the ends of the slots, said tongues ing bent into retaining contact between said reinforcing members and the outer faces of the side walls, substantially as described.

3. A box of the class described comprising inner and outer side walls connected at the tops and open at the bottoms, there being slots provlded in the inner side walls and covered by the outer side walls, a bottom member of a dimension fitting between the inner, side walls, tongues carried by the bottom member and protruded through said slots, notches formed at the junctions of the tongues with the bottom member and interlocking with the arts at the ends of the slots, said tongues eing bent into retaining contact between said inner and outer side walls, and the said open bottoms providing access to said tongues substantially as de scribed.

' 4. A. box of the class described comprising connected side walls provided therethrough with corresponding slots at difierent levels, a bottom member of a dimension adapted to fit between the side walls, bendable tongues carried by the bottom member and adapted to be protruded outwardly through the slots at the difierent levels for sustaining the bottom member at a selective level with respect to the height of the box, and means arranged on the side walls and. overlying said slots and tongues for holding said ton es in retaining contact with the outer si es of the side walls at the level selected, substantiall as described.

'5. A box of the c ass described comprising inner and outer side walls connected at the tops and open at the bottoms, there being corresponding slots rovided at different evels in the inner si e walls, a bottom member of a dimension adapted to fit between the inner side walls, and tongues carried by the bottom member and adapted to v be protruded throu h the slots at the diflerent levels for sustaining the bottom member at a selective level with respect to the height of the box, said tongues being adapted to be bent into retaining contact between the inner and outer side walls at the level selected, the said open bottoms providing access to said tongues, substantially as described.-

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD E. PrNKERToN. 

